3 reasons to question Chicago Bears signing Yannick Ngakoue

2. Yannick Ngakoue will not help the Chicago Bears run defense

All of the talk will be about Yannick Ngakoue and what he can bring to the pass rush. As we noted, he can find a way to get to the quarterback even when he does not beat his man consistently. Also, he saves all of his energy for those moments when he knows it is time to get sacks. Ngakoue plays the game well if the game is making sure your numbers look good and you can get paid.

The things that do not stand out, like run defense, are where he can be an issue. According to PFF, Yannick Ngakoue ranked ninth in missed tackles amongst qualified edge rushers. Of the 91 rushers who qualified, Ngakoue ranked 84th in run defense grade.

Fortunatley for him and the Chicago Bears, Ngakoue is actually ahead of Trevis Gipson, who ranked 88th, and Dominque Robinson, who ranked 89th in this category. Still, Rasheem Green was top 50 in this category, and DeMarcus Walker was top 30. It is clear that they were prioritizing run defense with those signings.

It does make sense that after adding two solid run defenders who lack pass rush, they would add a pass rusher who struggles with run defense. However, this may be more about a warning that Ngakoue may not be playing much on first down or on second and third down and short.

When it is third down and long, and it is time to get after it, he will play. However, he will not be an everydown type of player, and that may be for the best. The question is if they are paying too much for a bit of inflated production.